* Through football, education and leadership development — a partnership reflects NICO Group’s commitment to investing in initiatives that create meaningful and lasting impact
* We chose to support Ascent Soccer because we believe in what they are doing to transform football in Malawi
* They have a proven track record of developing talent, and their commitment to education is what has compelled us to work with them
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi’s most successful football academy, Ascent Soccer has partnered with NICO Group through which the country’s leading diversified financial services provider will invest deeply into the organisation’s mission of creating life-changing opportunities for talented young Malawians through football, education and leadership development.
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Based in Lilongwe, Ascent Soccer transforms the future of football and education in Southeast Africa by developing world-class players, scholars and leaders from one of the world’s most underserved regions.
In a joint statement, NICO Group Head of Marketing, Taweni Gondwe Xaba, said the partnership reflects the organisation’s commitment to investing in initiatives that create meaningful and lasting impact.
“We chose to support Ascent Soccer because we believe in what they are doing to transform football in Malawi,” she is quoted in the statement.
“They have a proven track record of developing talent, and their commitment to education is what has compelled us to work with them.”
Xaba made a reference to the ongoing FIFA World Cup™, especially the fairytale run by Cape Verde in their first appearance at the global stage, saying: “We are seeing smaller nations competing with traditional giants, showing that with sustained investment, countries like Malawi can also reach the highest level.”
She also took cognizance of Ascent Soccer’s graduates that have transformed into international stars such Faith-Chinzimu, the first Malawian to win a European championship with BK Häcken Women in Sweden; Zobran-Elias, a neuroscience graduate from Trinity College in the United States; and Mwisho-Mhango, now playing professionally with Hannover 96 in Germany — as examples of the academy’s growing impact.
The partnership was officially launched during a ceremony marking the departure of Ascent’s U16 girls and U14 boys teams for Iceland and Sweden, where they will compete against some of Europe’s leading academies as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to providing world-class international experiences.
Over the past few years, Ascent Soccer has been sending its teams to Iceland to participate in the Rey-Cup, whose first was in 2023 in which the U16 boys claimed the tournament crown with a perfect 6-0-0 record.
For more than a decade, Ascent has worked from a simple belief — “while talent is distributed equally around the world, opportunity is not”.
Ascent graduate Faith Chinzimu
Founded in 2014, Ascent has become one of Africa’s leading pathway organisations, combining elite football development, education, character development and sustainability to help young people realise their full potential.
Its success story include Malawi Scorchers’ Chinzimu and Rose Kabzere playing in France for Montpellier Women; others studying at leading North American schools and universities, and some representing Malawi on youth and senior national teams.
Ascent Soccer Director Marc Schwenk welcomed NICO Group as a long-term strategic partner: “For over 10 years, we’ve been witness to the incredible talent and promise of the youth of Malawi,” he is quoted as saying in the statement.
“While proud of our impact so far, we’re thrilled to have the NICO Group as partners in unlocking even more grassroots and global outcomes, together.”
The two institutions maintains that the investment “will strengthen Ascent’s work across its five interconnected pillars – Soccer, Scholarship, Girls, Green and Grassroots – enabling the Ascent Soccer to expand access to elite coaching, education, international competition and leadership opportunities for young people across Malawi”.
Present at the occasion was Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya, who said: “The success stories we continue to hear from Ascent Soccer, together with the achievements of players like Temwa Chawinga on the global stage, show that Malawian football is moving in the right direction and a partnership like this is vital for the future of the game.”
Ascent also acknowledged the Embassy-of-Iceland supporting grassroots programmes, gender equity initiatives, saying the international tours to Iceland and Sweden, give the student-athletes “invaluable opportunities to compete, learn and represent Malawi on the global stage”.
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Gracing the occasion was the Embassy of Iceland Head of Mission in Malawi, Dr. David Bjarnason, who also shared his enthusiasm for the global opportunities Ascent Soccer is unlocking.
“We have had the privilege of following Ascent, both here in Malawi and in Iceland,” he said. “We have watched your teams compete, including at Iceland’s Rey Cup, where you’ve shown what young Malawian student-athletes can achieve when they are given the opportunity.
“All year, people in Iceland still talk about Ascent Soccer, not only because of football, but because of the way you continue to represent Malawi with confidence, good spirit and respect.”
The NICO Group partnership is touted as representing “one of the largest private sector investments ever made into Ascent’s work and reflects a shared belief that investing in young people today can transform communities, strengthen Malawi’s sporting future and create leaders whose impact extends far beyond football”.
NICO Group is Malawi’s leading diversified financial services group, providing innovative financial solutions that help individuals, businesses and communities grow with confidence.
With operations spanning insurance, banking, pensions, asset management, corporate finance, property and technology, NICO Group has spent more than five decades investing in the long-term prosperity of Malawi and the region.
As the first company listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange, NICO has built a reputation for leadership, innovation and responsible corporate citizenship.
Through its businesses and strategic investments across Southern Africa, the Group continues to create lasting value while supporting initiatives that strengthen education, entrepreneurship, sport and sustainable community development.
On its part, Ascent Soccer operates as Southeast Africa’s only full-time, gender-equitable residential soccer academy and sub-Saharan Africa’s first purpose-built green soccer campus.
Since 2014, Ascent has developed more than 50 youth and senior national team players, created more than US$4 million in international scholarship opportunities, reached over 75,000 young people and coaches through grassroots programming, and helped graduates earn professional opportunities in France, Germany, Sweden and Japan.
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